When We Were Young
by A Fire in the Attic
Summary: Erica wanted to race across the field too. She'd spent a lot of time watching the boys race, and thinking, I could win. kid!fic, Jackson and Erica-centric.


**Prompt**: Memory from the past with your character

**Word Count**: 617

**Notes**: kid!fic, Erica and Jackson-centric but not a pairing. Kind of an ambiguous age.

* * *

Jackson hadn't always been so pretentious.

In elementary school, he'd still been popular, but back then popularity came from the ability to climb the trees fastest when the playground aides weren't looking. Or maybe from eating worms.

Well, that was more like infamy.

The point is, Jackson used to be a lot more willing to welcome people into his social circle. He and Danny had been best friends for as long as any one could remember, but they liked to drag the other boys over to the field and race across it as fast as they could.

Sometimes Jackson won those races, but if he pulled Isaac over, he lost.

In elementary school, Erica had firmly slotted herself into the tomboy category. She crowed about it any time her Abuela came to town to visit, and her father would smile a little and stroke her hair. "Mi hija," he would say. "Please use your inside voice."

Abuela just thought it was cute, to Erica's chagrin.

Erica wanted to race across the field too. She'd spent a lot of time watching the boys race, and thinking, I could win.

So one day, she walked over as they were lining up, and asked, "Could I try?"

Joshua, who would later be known as Greenburg, had scowled and told her no.

Danny had rolled his eyes, but that had been directed at Joshua, not Erica.

"Sure," Jackson said. "Just try to keep up."

Joshua squawked. "But she's a girl."

"And I can still beat you," she snapped, and Danny giggled at her. She ignored all three of them as she lined up next to them.

Jackson did the countdown and screamed "GO!" at the top of his lungs.

Erica took off with grim determination. She was a little taller than the three boys, and she hoped that would be enough to win.

Joshua was the first to fall behind, to absolutely no one's surprise. Erica and Jackson were neck and neck, but Danny was a couple steps in front of them.

Erica pushed harder until she was sprinting next to Danny. Danny grinned at her as she started to pass him, and with grim determination, Erica set her sights on the end goal.

Only to get passed by Jackson just as she was reaching the end.

"You're fast," he panted. "Like the fastest person. 'Cept me. And Isaac."

Well, Isaac was probably part cheetah, Erica thought.

"But you beat me," Erica said, frowning.

"Barely! I just tricked you into thinking I was slower." Jackson looked smug about that. "But anyway, let's do it again."

Danny collapsed on the ground, face first. "Nope, nope, nope," he said.

Joshua flopped next to him. "You two," he huffed, "Go ahead. And sorry I made fun of you, Erica."

She shrugged. "I was right."

Joshua scowled at her. "Yeah, yeah."

"Come on, line up," Jackson said, eagerly, and then Danny was counting down and Erica was falling into a ready position.

They flew.

Later, Erica had seizures and wasn't supposed to run any more. They were in middle school, now, anyway, and Jackson was popular for wearing the right clothes and being the best at cross country and junior lacrosse. Erica was nobody.

But there were times when she caught Jackson's eye and she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes for a second before he looked away. Because he was cool, and she drooled. Sometimes literally.

But she used to fly, and that's what she held onto when Greenburg laughed in her face about the video of her seizure. I beat you once, she thought as she glared back at him and tried not to cry.

Things were better in elementary school.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Teen Wolf and I wrote this in less than an hour so be nice to me.

**A/N**: Fun fact: my brother told me he ships Erica and Jackson and I was like "What?" but then I started thinking and planning so anyway a one-shot will eventually happen of that. In it, Jackson alludes to barely knowing Erica outside of the elementary school playground and I thought, "HMMM." And got this prompt. SO! Cool stuff, eh?


End file.
